The Pandas formed in
Beverly, MA during early 1964. Packing a rocking repertoire of
contemporary hits, they soon gained recognition in North Shore communities
like Danvers, Peabody, Salem, Gloucester, and Manchester, and their
reputation began to spread throughout New England. From the start,
however, Teddy & The Pandas
was different from most other groups of their time. Having heard of the
exploitation of musicians in the 50's, they determined from the start to
be professional and protect themselves. Starting with the formation of a
corporation, they next hired a top entertainment legal firm, an accounting
firm to handle all financial activity, and their own PR consultant. With the addition of a
4-man road crew and corporate-leased vans, this sophisticated group of
young musicians placed themselves and their entire entourage on a payroll
system. All of this was done long before their real income generating
power was actually proven. However, that proof came soon enough.

Knowing that
original music is what makes a group, the Pandas began a two-year goal to
write their own material, and try them out at their live performances. The
response was more than enthusiastic. As a result, in late 1965 Teddy &
The Pandas booked Ace Recording studios, and proceeded to record their own
song material. One of Teddy Dewart's compositions, "Once Upon a
Time," was released as a single, with the B side,
"(Bye Bye) Out
the Window," a collaboration between Dewart and the group's long-time
friend and road manager, Johnny McEwan. "Once Upon A Time" hit
the Top 10 on Boston's pop radio stations WMEX and WBZ in April, 1966, and
continued as a hit throughout New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
and into upstate New York. The song's signature sound turned out to be
'Dickey' Guerrette's harpsichord, an instrument left in the studio after
the Boston Symphony Orchestra had recorded earlier in the afternoon. Once
the song hit, they had an electrified harpsichord custom made for them by
Boston Symphony's master keyboard makers, only theirs was constructed of
see-through Plexiglas, complete with interior spotlights! When the
curtains parted at the Rhode Island Arena, the audience response was
overwhelming. While the group was well-known for its uncanny ability to
replicate recordings of other artists, it now dazzled the audience with
its rendering of their own hit single... combined with the visual
excitement of the see-through harpsichord. Even well known disc jockey,
Rockin' Ron Robin of Boston's highly touted radio station, WMEX couldn't
resist. Alluding to the band's live sound, he wrote, "If you don't
have a chance to see their versatility in person, (you should)... It will
turn you on like it turned me on." (As an ironic note, Teddy and
Billy later recorded with Arthur Feidler & Boston Pops on their
"Italian Festival" series. Sure enough, Teddy remembers seeing
the original harpsichord that started it all sitting in the corner of the
recording studio.)